The Best Valentine's Day
by LuSilveira
Summary: That time of the year has arrived, and with it, some problems to our couple Buster and Ash. Related to Story Not Told, but far from a sequel. Valentine's Day special! Cover, again, made by the amazing Asestrada157 from deviantart.


**A/N: Well well well, look who worked on the same story for a month! XD This should've come up by Valentine's Day, but a long delay happened. I apologize. So this is how Buster and Ash's first Valentine's Day went like, and I hope you like it! Related to Story Not Told, yet sequel is still to come up. Stay tuned! ;)**

* * *

Dating for a while now, it was normal for Ash to eventually sneak into Buster's office to cuddle or kiss, even though she preferred to do it when everybody had left. That way, they'd have more time, and not being interrupted was almost certain.

But today was Valentine's Day, and she wasn't gonna wait until night to be with him. Quite frankly, she never cared about the event. Mostly because she and Lance never did anything special to celebrate it. He was too cheap to take her out, and the one time she had taken him out, he found a group of RPG players and played his way into the night.

That is, until they got kicked out by the owner, and then Ash was stuck with five drunk guys playing in her apartment. But something told her Buster wasn't gonna do that.

They'd go out and have a good time together.

That is... they would have a good time together, if they _could_ go out together. She knew Buster, and he wouldn't risk their relationship to take her out. Why risk? Because they were 25 years apart, and as close as she might be, she's not 18 yet.

So they'll just spend the night at her house. Watch a movie, play songs, whatever. They'll be together. And that is good enough for her.

"Hey, Ms Crawly!" She greeted, going past her boyfriend's doddering assistant.

"Hello, dear!" The lizard replied. "Do you want some coffee?"

Miss Crawly always had the best intentions, but she also had a missing glass eye that could be anywhere, including that mug. "Thanks, I pass." She directed herself to Buster's office. All blinds were open, which was odd.

"He's not here now, he had to go somewhere."

"Do you know where? He's usually here at this time."

"He's out for lunch. Somewhere down the street." Opening the door, Ms Crawly quickly grabbed a box. "Shouldn't you be home with your loved one, dear?"

Well, he hadn't told her. And she wouldn't be the one to do it. "I don't have a loved one," she lied. "I'm by myself today. I came here to see everyone and just chill. I'm gonna go after Bust- Mr Moon."

"Oh, just call him by his first name, dear. He considers you family anyway." Ash nodded, smiling, and left. She had heard that before, the lizard had that to the entire cast. No one called him by his first name, and she wasn't gonna be the first one to do it. It'd be too suspicious.

Ash walked down the street, looking into restaurant after restaurant for Buster. He was very characteristic, it wouldn't be hard to find him. She froze. In one of the diners, Buster was talking nonchalantly to a female koala. She mentally slapped herself. Come on, the guy had the right to be friends with girls. On the other hand, she had dated a cheater previously.

She took a seat outside the place, almost instantly recognizing the girl as Laura. She watched their interaction. They were laughing, tossing words back and forth. They could be mistaken for a couple, but until then there was nothing suspicious. They seemed to be good friends. Ash wasn't 100% sure of how she felt about this, until it happened. Both stood up, and hugged, staying like that for quite a while.

They kissed each other's cheek, and tossed a few more words in air, giggling. Ash's heart sank.

"Are you working tonight? Or will I have to look for someone there?"

"I'm working, so is Munro. I told him to take you guys there just in case we don't see each other. No way you miss him. Taller than you, buff, and few friends face."

"If he scares me, you will have ruined my date, because I'm running off!" He laughed, soon being followed by his ex. "Tell me about the room. It isn't... _too much_ , is it? Ash is simplistic, I don't wanna make her uncomfortable."

"Buster, if it wasn't a fancy restaurant, the room'd cost $200 for the night. But it is a fancy restaurant, so it's tad bit beyond that. I promise, the room's the definition of simple, of course it has decoration, but nothing too great. It's gonna be a nice candlelight dinner for the two of you. A dinner that can't last a second over 8:30, because that's when the cleaning personnel's stepping in to clean the room to the couple that actually paid for it."

"And dinner?"

"Nothing you can't afford. But stay away from the wine chart, the cheapest thing you're gonna find there is $2,000 bucks and tastes like grape juice. Sneak wine in on your own."

"I'll hide it in my top hat, don't worry." Laura cracked up laughing.

"If you're gonna use one, you'll see me first thing there. I can't lose that." This was Buster's turn to laugh. He quickly brought the woman into an embrace once again.

"Thanks. I owe you." She nodded, and smiled.

"Go and have fun."

But of course Ash heard none of that conversation.

* * *

When Buster went to pick her up that afternoon, he would be his usual formal self hadn't he added a beautiful bouquet for his loved one. Knocking on her door, he didn't get an answer. He figured she must be taking a shower or whatever, so he grabbed the spare key she kept under her 'welcome' mat, and unlocked the door.

Ash was sitting on the couch, watching TV, and cursed herself for leaving that key there. "There you are! Didn't you hear me?" He said, cheery. "Listen, I know it's a last minute thing, but I need you to get dressed. I have a surprise for you. Now I'd really it if you wore a dress, but anything's fine." She didn't say a word as he handed her the bouquet. "I got these for you." She kept her eyes glued to the screen, but didn't miss his ears lowering. "Hey, you alright?"

"Listen, Buster… why don't you go give those to Laura, or whatever her name is?"

He looked puzzled. "Why'd I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because the two of you were hugging and kissing out there like you didn't have a girlfriend!"

"What?! What are you-" She glared at him, and he froze. "Oh. Ash, it's not what you're thinking."

"Save it. Was it a _one day thing?_ " She mocked Lance's voice. "I heard that one!"

"Laura's a friend! I was just getting something ready for you."

"With your ex-girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I needed a favor from her."

"For Pete's sakes, Buster! That's the lamest excuse for cheating I've ever heard!"

"I didn't cheat on you! Ash... I once dated her, these hugs and kisses are a thing we do for old times' sake."

"Not an excuse!"

"Ash, Laura's engaged! Her fiancé is an ex-cop, I want none of that in my life!"

"Bull!"

"What's cheating for you?! Looking for an old friend's help to make your girlfriend a surprise, is that it?!"

"The way you hugged her!"

He crossed his arms. "Have you ever seen the way I hug you? If I was with her, I'd hug her like that."

"Ha! In front of everybody?!"

"Well, yeah! It wouldn't be illegal! What, you think I like having to hide us?! If you were ten years older I'd hug and kiss you in public. But you aren't! And I'm not growing younger! Forget ten years, another one'd work just fine!" He threw his head back, surprised at his own energy. He hated heated arguments. Taking a seat by Ash's side, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. We had lunch together, talked about the good old days, and when we left I hugged her and kissed her cheek. And the only reason I did this was to get a room at _La Bastille_ for the two of us. I wanted to make you a surprise."

Ash's expression softened a bit. " _La Bastille?_ That's one of the most expensive places in town."

"That's what I needed Laura for. She works there, and she's getting me this room for free."

"You're joking, right?"

"If we get there in time, you'll see for yourself."

"You really have nothing with her? She's an old flame who went out of her way to help you?"

"I told you she's a friend. I'd never go back to a cheater, they cheat again. And I'd never cheat on someone, I know how much it hurts."

'Terrible' was an understatement to how Ash felt right now. She felt awful, and there was something about his speech that made her throat tighten. She moved over and hugged him, not surprised he didn't return it.

"Babe, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry."

"Listen, Ash... this has to stop."

"I know, I-"

"We can't be together if we don't trust each other!"

No. That wasn't an option for her. This had to work. "I know we can't, but when I saw you there, I thought you might- how would you feel if you saw me and Lance hugging out there like it was nothing?"

He shrugged. "If it really was nothing, I wouldn't care. Just because you're hugging someone, doesn't mean you're _seeing_ seeing them."

"I know. And you know I have previous experiences with cheating-"

"So have I. And guess with who." She nodded firmly. "But I've put that behind me. She changed, I've grown to forgive her and enjoy her company. We are gonna do things to remember ourselves of how good our relationship was, that doesn't mean I'm seeing her. Just that we bring back old mannerisms we had when we were dating. It was a happy time. _I_ was happy."

"Yeah, I know."

"Just because someone's your ex, and no matter the amount of crap they pulled in the past-" Ash couldn't help but think of Lance. Buster was now friends with his cheating ex-girlfriend, would the same happen to the two of them? She figured time would tell. "Everyone can change, and turn into a nice person. And it's not a problem to hang out with an ex. After all, our hearts care about the ones we are or once were attracted to, right?"

Ash knew he meant it as something poetic and wise, but couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing, and earned a weird look from her boyfriend. "You think I still care about Lance?"

"I didn't care about Laura for the first few years after we broke up." He confessed. "I think this happens over time."

She brought him closer, and gently kissed him, smiling when he returned it. "Alright, I'll take your word in that. I'm sorry, Buster."

"It's fine, you didn't know."

"I could've asked, not outright accused you. I didn't see a romantic kiss there anyways..."

"Love, it's fine. But we gotta get ready, we're running short of time."

"Alright, just let me take a shower." She stood up, and walked ahead, a smirk on her face. "Wanna join me?" He blushed, and she just laughed.

"We'd need more than 20 minutes." Ash turned to look at him, surprised. "Wouldn't we?" His mouth was twisted in a grin.

"I guess we would." She laughed lightly, shutting the door behind her. She hadn't expected him to retort.

* * *

Ash hated dresses. She hated them with all of her might. But Buster had asked her to wear one, and that's what she was gonna do. Problem is, apart from her performance's dress (which was creased now) she only has one. It was a flat plain black dress, it was dull and... boring? In lack of a better word. Dressing up, she slid a pair of red leggings underneath, for her own sake. She put on her combat boots, and looked at herself in the mirror. _I guess this'll do._ She looked decent enough for a date.

Going back into the living room, Ash was surprised. Buster was playing a tune to himself on her guitar, and humming along with the melody. His tie – for once not a bow tie – lying flat on the ground, she took a good look at him. Wine red suit, light pink shirt, and black shoes.

"Elegant."

Buster cut the song short, and looked up at her, checking her out. "So are you! You look great, rockstar." He smiled at her, and leaned over to grab his tie. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."

"I don't mind. You're a good singer. Must've been a sensation when you were young- when you played." She knew he had problems with their huge age gap, and didn't need to hear any mentions of that now.

Buster seemed not to care, as he let out a heartfelt laughter. "Ha! One can only dream. I only performed in my friends' parties, Ash. I never got a proper..." He adjusted his tie around his neck, and shut his eyes in thought. "Gig! I never got to perform live." He offered Ash his arm and, altho laughing, she took it.

"I rarely got a gig. Apart from the theatre, I mean." Both walked out the door, and locked it behind them. "As you know, Lance was lead, and not many animals cared for that."

"Figures."

Ash laughed. "Yeah, okay. We hardly ever got a gig together."

"Pity. You got a beautiful voice." Ash blushed, and thanked the dim lights of the street for hiding it. Whenever he told her that, her heart melted. "And I got us a ride." He pointed to an old-fashioned car. "It's Eddie's, he let me have it for the night. Can't get in trouble if I crash, right?"

Ash froze in place. "Wait, what?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." He opened the door for her, and stepped in. There were adapted pedals in the car, as it had been made for animals thrice their size.

"Do you know how to drive?"

"A little. It's been a while. Seatbelt on for your safety, please."

"Hey, I can drive if you want. License's still valid for another year."

"Nah, I'm good. Erm, just remind me... which one is the brake again?"

Ash rolled her eyes, and let go of the seatbelt. "Alright, move over."

"I can drive! I'm asking for a quick reminder."

"The middle one. The left one is the clutch, and the right one's the accelerator. Indicator is the left lever behind the wheel. Push it down if you wanna go right, and up if you wanna go left." Buster was looking at her with eyes wide open. "What? That's basic."

"You're the boss! Alright... so we go!" He turned the key in the ignition, and the car sprang back to life. It took Buster a moment to grab the gear, accidentally set it to reverse, and send the car crashing into a garbage can behind the vehicle until Ash pulled the parking brake, sending the car into an immediate halt. She shot him a smirk, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah, I can't drive."

"I noticed." She laughed. "So you were saying..?"

He sighed. "Can you drive?"

* * *

Not long after, Ash pulled into a fancy looking restaurant. It was Victorian-styled, but had been repainted over the years. Whenever there was a holiday, the prices of rooms dramatically increased to numbers bearing a few zeros. How does she know this? Well, her parents used to throw parties at this place.

"Good evening, ma'am." A smiling monkey greeted her. He opened the door, and offered his hand. She shook her head politely, and climbed off.

"Thanks."

"Thank you monsieur!" Buster faked a French accent. "And park nearby, s'il vous plait?" The monkey nodded, already pulling ahead. "Merci!"

"Buster, nobody speaks French here." Ash laughed.

"I'm just having some fun." He motioned for her to round the building. "We gotta use the back entrance. Nobody besides me, Laura and her fiancé know we're using the room." He quickly came to a halt. "And uh... I forgot to tell you, we just might bump into her, she works here."

She nodded. "Alright."

"Does that bother you, by any chance?" She shook her head. "Sure?"

"No, I mean... you're entitled to your past, right? And you two are friends, I don't mind you having friends. Just introduce us if you see her." Buster was listening intently, looking slightly concerned. She sighed. "I'm not as jealous as I made you think."

"I know, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I want to. After that day in the theatre..." Ash laughed. "She actually sounds cool."

"She is." Buster smiled, leading her to a door. "Thanks." She nodded. Buster then turned to a tall alligator who was keeping the door. "Hello! I'm looking for Laura or uh... Munro. Know where I can find them?"

The guard opened the door just enough to let the couple in. "Know what a sommelier is?" Buster nodded. "See that sommelier over there? Past him, straight to the bar. Munro is a koala I think a couple hands taller than you, he has a tattoo on his left arm, and is always wearing sunglasses. No way you miss him."

"Thanks." Both went in the direction the alligator had pointed, and not long after they were at the bar lounge area. On the other side of the room, a koala held a frown on his face, wore black aviator shades and had a dragon tattoo on his arm. Despite his size, he looked just ready to kick someone's ass. Ash laughed lightly. "What?"

"I have a question for Laura. I wanna know how she went from you to him." Buster gave her a bored stare, only making her laugh harder.

Altho shaking a little, Buster approached the guy, being followed closely by his girlfriend. "Uh... hey. Are you Munro?"

The guy took a good look at the couple, and shrugged. "Depends. Are you Buster?" The other koala nodded. "Laura talked to me about you."

"Good things?" Buster said, voice slightly shaken up.

"She said you are the biggest dork she ever met." His expression hardened, and softened up when he let out a heartfelt laughter. "But with a good heart. Finally get to meet you!" Munro moved closer to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you. You scared me!"

"That's my job."

Buster let out a nervous laugh, and took a few steps back, wrapping an arm around Ash. "And this is my girlfriend, Ash."

"Nice meeting you." Ash took a step ahead.

"Nice to meet you!" The pair shook hands. "Man... you got a firm grip! Have you ever been in jail?" His tone was serious, and Ash was about to retort when he laughed. "I'm just kidding, Ash. It's nice meeting you. Anyways... tag along, the two of you." He held the door open for the couple. "So. I know Laura talked to you about this but I'm gonna say it again because I want to."

"Can we go on a double date with Laura and him?" Ash whispered.

"If he promises he's not gonna kill me, maybe." Buster replied. Both laughed quietly.

"The cleaning personnel is stepping in 8:30, and not a second over that, do you get me? If you make me lose my job, I'm gonna kick your ass." Buster gulped audibly. "But not much, I don't like hitting girls!" Ash cracked up laughing, pointing at her boyfriend. "Loosen up, Buster!" He smacked the other guy's shoulder. "Just leave in time."

"We got you a good room, hence why your date is so early." A voice spoke behind them, making the trio turn to look. "Clear view of the sky."

"Thanks." Laura nodded, and Buster turned to his current girlfriend. "Well... I want to introduce you to someone." He walked her over to the other female. "Ash, this here's Laura. Laura, this is my girlfriend Ash. You two were never introduced."

"Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you."

"So have I about you. I got you the tape, by the way, and let me tell you... didn't think I'd ever see Buster here hitting someone."

"Oh come on, it was a one time thing!" Buster interrupted.

"And it suited Lance just fine. He's an idiot." Ash stated, matter-of-factly.

"That too."

Silence hovered over the quartet for a while, until Laura spoke up.

"Well, we'll let you to your date. Enjoy your evening, don't make much noise. Oh, and leave before-"

"8:30, alright. I have an alarm set up."

"Better yet. Nice seeing you again, Buster. And Ash, nice meeting you." The porcupine nodded, smiling. "Let's go, Mun!"

"Be right with you, dear!" Laura went ahead. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Ash." The two exchanged a quick hug, and the man went to the stairs. "And Buster. Treat her right. She's a keeper."

"I know." He turned to his girlfriend, a broad smile on his face.

"I see you guys. Be downstairs if you need me!" Munro called out, hopping down the stairs.

"So, if a thief climbs up the vines we know who to call." Ash laughed, and Buster swopped her in for a sweet kiss, walking ahead and pressing the girl against a wall. They kissed for just enough time to be panting upon parting. "Shall we?" She nodded, and both went into the room.

* * *

The room was nice and cozy. You could tell why it was the favorite of couples all over town: it was bathed by moonlight, had a big balcony, and some neat background music. The balcony faced a big lake, and there wasn't a light into the night in except for the stars'. Sure, some of the star light was obfuscated by city light, but it was still a great view.

In the balcony, Buster and Ash gazed up at the stars, a dim candle keeping them from absolute darkness. Both decided words were too much for that moment, and remained silent for most of the time, yet eventually sharing a kiss. Ash climbed onto his lap, sitting sideways for obvious reasons, and rested against him, closing her eyes.

"Sleepy?" He muttered. She shook her head.

"Just resting my eyes. Moon, you, this… this is awesome." She smiled sweetly at him. "This is the best Valentine's day ever. Thank you."

"Thanks for being here with me. You made this special." She blushed slightly, and frowned.

"And I'm sorry about-"

"No, don't start that. It's alright, love." Nodding, she leaned in to kiss him. Had him been Lance, and she had slightly doubted his fidelity, he would've dumped her; and then her fears came true. But Buster wasn't gonna do that. He had nothing to hide. He explained himself, and forgave her for doubting him.

Parting her lips, she was greeted by his, and gently nudged him asking for permission. He broke the kiss for a moment. "Let me just… catch my breath." Both were taking short breaths. Buster rested back on the couch, pulling her over him, and earning a surprised gasp from the teen.

"Do we have time?"

"Let me worry about that." She undid his tie and tossed it to the ground, smirking down at him.

"You are usually the upper half."

"Night's young." He said, bringing her closer. "We'll have a chance. But for now, we can continue." With that, he French kissed her. She returning it eagerly.

* * *

Not long after, both laid flat on the couch, breathless. Ash resting on Buster's chest. The two animals smiling at what the night had brought. They just remained silent, enjoying each other's mere presence.

A while later, the clock rang, indicating they should get going. Standing up, both quickly started dressing up.

"Not bad for our first Valentine's day together, was it?" Buster smiled, redoing his tie. "I just forgot about one thing."

"And what's that?"

Buster reached out for the windowsill, and grabbed a bottle of wine. "I taped this to the building for us." Ash cracked up laughing. "Hey, I can't afford the wine they serve here!" He sounded embarrassed, and she immediately stopped laughing.

"Moon, look at me." He turned to face her. "That's not something to be embarrassed of. This was just really unexpected, that's all. It's even kinda… cute." She hated the word, but used it for his sake. "And this, everything you did today, it's awesome. I kinda expected we wouldn't be having wine here, because it's super expensive and tastes horrible. I didn't count on you sneaking wine in, though."

"Yeah, alright." He let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry for laughing at you."

"No, it's okay. I guess anyone would've laughed if their date grabbed some wine from the side of a building." They shared a laugh and a brief kiss.

"I guess they would."

* * *

Perfect timing. As the couple went down the stairs, the cleaning personnel stepped in to clean the room to the scheduled - and paying - couple. Bidding Laura and Munro goodbye, and thanking them for the night, the two went to get the car, and in no time were back at Ash's apartment.

There, they changed into some more comfortable clothes and watched whichever movie was on TV, snuggling close to each other.

"Moon?"

"Yeah?"

Ash reached over, and grabbed a flat box. "This is for you. After all this, I'm kinda embarrassed of how simplistic it is, but…"

"As long as it's from your heart." Buster smiled, undoing the ribbon. Opening the box, he found the picture of the theatre's first inauguration. But now, its frame was fixed, and didn't seem to have ever been broken in the first place. Holding it in one hand, he looked at her, his jaw dropped.

"I know it's not even a gift, but I didn't know what to give you. And I saw how upset you were that'd you'd have to change the frame, since it had been a gift from your dad and the all. It just clicked in my head. It was hard to get it from your office without you noticing, and sad to see you going around looking for it but… here it is."

"I searched all over town for someone who'd fix this. Everybody said it wasn't worth it, I was better off buying a new one."

"I have a friend who had a friend who is a restorer. She usually does that kinda things for museums and such, I asked her to do it. Good as new, her words. It will stay strong for a good twenty years."

Buster had his mouth agape, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thanks, Ash! I really didn't expect this one! Especially because I thought some collector had stolen this." He laughed lightly, waving the portrait in air.

"Welcome. And I'm sorry it's not something… better. I was just really out of ideas."

"This is the best thing you could've gotten me. It's a great gift, love, seriously."

"Glad you like it." She replied, a smile on her face.

"So. Shall we open that bottle?"

"Can't. Underage." Buster froze for a moment, and then shot her a humorous smirk.

"Like it ever stopped you before." He teased, and Ash burst out laughing. She went into the kitchen, and returned with a pair of glasses. He quickly served the two of them, and raised his glass.

"To the best Valentine's Day we've ever had, and the luck of finding each other in such a big city."

They toasted. "Cheers."

* * *

 **A/N: So, this is it pals! Hope y'all liked it, and please leave me your thoughts. *heart***


End file.
